Monday, July 13, 2009

Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

Maus is the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and of his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his father's terrifying story, and History itself.Moving back and forth from Poland to Rego Park, New York, Maus tells two powerful stories: The first is Spiegelman's father's account of how he and his wife survived Hitler's Europe, a harrowing tale filled with countless brushes with death, improbable escapes, and the terror of confinement and betrayal. The second is the author's tortured relationship with his aging father as they try to lead a normal life of minor arguments and passing visits against a backdrop of history too large to pacify. At all levels, this is the ultimate survivor's tale - and that, too, of the children who somehow survive even the survivors.(Summary from jacket flap)

Graphic novels have always been a bit iffy for me. They don't seem to have the same amount of legitimacy as a novel with lines and lines of sentences and words and letters that have been put together artfully and thoughtfully and been rearranged a countless number of times. Pictures are so un-concrete almost light-hearted.

At least that was where I stood coming into this book.

Now I'm in a completely different place. Because Maus was amazing. Truly and seriously amazing.

The pictures are well done and the dialogue and narration fits in perfectly. Being able to see the expressions of the characters gave me a whole different perspective on the story than I would've had if it had just been written in prose. It was like watching a movie but one that was intelligent and creative and sort of monumental.

Maus tells the story of the Holocaust for goodness' sake.

I've mentioned my Holocaust obsession, right? I have one. It fascinates me. I can't get enough of it. Not the death or the horror but the knowledge. I feel like in order to be a world citizen I should be as educated and informed and horrified by the event as is humanly possible. Like it's my duty to understand the whos, whats, and whys. Please someone else say they feel this way.

Not only was this an outstanding graphic novel it was a moving illustration of what life was like for some of the Jews who were in hiding for months, trying to figure out what card the Nazis were going to play next.

The bad thing is that it left off just as the main character and his wife were being taken to Auschwitz. Which means I'll have to make a trip to the bookstore and get the second book.

So yeah, this is a phenomenal book. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. A must-read. Especially if you haven't read a graphic novel yet. This is a good way to start.

I've never read a graphic novel, and I'm not sure if I would like it. But I do love a good Holocaust novel. It's so extremely interesting to learn about it. Elie Wiesel, author of night, is coming to my hometown to speak. I wish I could go but I'll be away at college :(

I'm so glad you liked this! This was my first graphic novel experience and I really enjoyed it as well. Spiegelman is quite a talented man.

Also, I have the same kind of fascination with the holocaust as you do. When I tell people I love movies and books on the holocaust I get weird looks, but it's not because I *enjoy* watching/reading about people's suffering.. I just feel like I need to know as much about it as possible and be as aware of it as I can (if that makes any sense.) Whoops. Now I'm rambling a bit. Anyway, point is: I'm pretty sure I know how you feel on the fascination-with-the-Holocaust front.

I think this boy is very intresting at first when looking at it i thought it would be something stupid more child like but as me and my son started reading it together it became more and more intresting i was more excited to read the book before bed time than he was, he really seemed to understand it and hes only 5

Currently Reading...

'09 Challenge

BOOKSThe Dollanganger SeriesFlowers in the Attic
Petals on the Wind
If There Be Thorns
Seeds of Yesterday
Garden of Shadows

The Logan Series
Melody
Heart Song
Unfinished Symphony
Music in the Night
Olivia

My Sweet Audrina

Books Read

2009

January:
1. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
2. Discovering Pig Magic by Julie Crabtree
3. What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson
4. Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews
5. Cracked Up To Be by Courtney SummersTotals for January: 5 books & 1,488 pages Complete Totals: 5 books &1,499 pages

April
14. The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
15. Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
16. Willow by Julia Hoban
17. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
18. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
19. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch AlbomTotals for April: 6 books & 2,138 pagesComplete Totals: 19 books & 6,341 pages

May
20. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
21. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
22. One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
23. Shelter Me by Alex McAulay
24. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
25. Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
26. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

April
39. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
40. You Know Where To Find Me by Rachel Cohn
41. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
42. How NOT to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
43. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
44. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
45. Airhead by Meg Cabot
46. A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
47. Lost It by Kristen Tracy
48. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
49. The Final Warning by James Patterson
50. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
51. The Elite by Jennifer Banash
52. Perfect You by Elizabeth ScottTotals for April: 14 books & 4,860 pagesComplete Totals: 52 books & 16,149 pages

May
53. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
54. One Whole And Perfect Day by Judith Clarke
55. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
56. Pretty Face by Mary Hogan
57. I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
58. Looking For Alaska by John Green
59. The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
60. She's So Money by Cherry Cheva
61. Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde
62. How To Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle
63. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
64. How To Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
65. Frostbite by Richelle MeadTotals for May: 13 books & 3,980 pagesComplete Totals: 65 books & 20,129 pages